Bob White, owner of Grumpy White’s, says the four or five coyotes have been hanging around in the parking lot.

Mostly it’s been the young pups, and they haven’t threatened anyone, but he’d rather not have them around at all. He’s concerned the furry freeloaders might freak out his customers.

“They may get a little spooked by it,” says White. “They haven’t bothered anybody yet. You can walk right down there, they’ll sit there, look at you. They’re like little puppies.”

White is taking steps to make sure the coyotes don’t settle permanently. He has hung up bottles of mountain lion urine in hopes of scaring them off.

“I saw one yesterday, just one. I think the adults know what the scent is but the babies don’t yet. I think maybe the adults will eventually take the babies out of here,” he said.

State wildlife officials say there are about 10,000 coyotes living in Massachusetts, mostly in urban and suburban areas like Quincy because that’s where food is easy to find.

Officials say in the last 60 years, only five people have been bitten by a coyote in Massachusetts. But that’s small comfort to the patrons and staff at Grumpy White’s.

“One of the babies trotted right up to our bartender and she didn’t want any part of that, so she just took off and went back into the building,” says Bob Sheridan, manager of Grumpy White’s. “They’re actually kind of cute, but I wouldn’t want to get too close to them.”

White has been in touch with the state’s environmental police and they are are keeping an eye on the coyotes to make sure they don’t pose a threat to people.

White says a large section of the wooded area has been cleared for a nearby park. He believes that has pushed the animals closer to his restaurant. He also notes the city has a large compost pile nearby, which is an easy source for food.